do you trust your roomates with your bags

I keep my backpack inside that trollie or bag with wheels...I have a small padlock... APPARENTLY, those small padlocks can be opened by any other keys. As the hostel manager demonstrated how it can be opened.

I always trust everyone. Dont be like me! I was stupid. I have been loosing bills on my pocket. I thought I just dropped it outside. Until, I did an experiment with my pants, I learned somebody was checking it out. I just knew that second that my cellphone is history. I thought if a thief is in my room or goes to the room, then he must have attempted to break my luggage. My phone was inside my bag. I never leave it there. But I thought why would anyone steal a phone? I mean a backpacker breaking your padlock to steal a phone. And I was right, my dear phone is history.

My roomate has expensive colognes and designer clothers and watches scattered everywhere in the room. Nobody is stealing from him. So he is my primary suspect.

It may seem a bit rude, but I warned all new roomates to be very mindful of their valuables. I was very angry, but then what will I earn if I decide to poison his water bottles. He is so pathetic and is bound to perish within 6 months with his body weight. He lives in the dorm room for ages.

But then again it could be the hotel people stealing.

I left two days ago. Its my worst hotel experience. I should have trusted my instincts. It was also the most expensive hotel I ever stayed in.

2.
Posted bysamsara_(Travel Guru 5353 posts) 8y
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I tend to try and lock as much away as I can, but I suppose the best way to travel is without too many valuables so that you dont have to worry about them all the time.

I've definitely had a few things nicked in hostels, just items of clothes and toiletries, but what can you do! I remember being really pissed when someone stole my Ramones t-shirt! but then I figured well it's just a t-shirt. Never mind.

In most hostels you are just not able to lock away all your clothes etc. But the best you can do in that situation is use a retractable lock, loop it thorugh the zips on your backpack and then lash it to something fixed or maybe to a bedpost or something.

And I've definitely stayed in a few places where it was well known that the hostel staff were rifling through people's stuff. All you can do is keep your money, passport and electronics on your person or locked away at all times, and hope for the best with everything else.

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience Swept Away. It's all part of the joys of travelling I suppose

3.
Posted bysummer910(Respected Member 1342 posts) 8y
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Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I haven't had that problem so far, but I try to bring valuables like mobile phone and camera with me when I go out, so that I don't leave much except necessities in the luggage. Even that is locked and stored away in a locker if I'm sharing the room with someone else.

Ev: people steal t-shirts? First time I've heard of that.

[ Edit: Edited on Sep 11, 2008, at 12:12 PM by summer910 ]

4.
Posted byTheSpade(Budding Member 17 posts) 8y
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Thankfully I haven't had anything stolen whilst staying in hostels but I take my phone, camera, wallet, passport with me at all times. Pissed me off quite a lot needing to carry everything all the time but it avoids me being gutted if something was to go missing.

I think I've stayed in more hostels that didn't have lockers than ones that did but I always imagined no one would want to steal my clothes or rucksack anyway. I don't understand someone stealing a t-shirt, though I did have one go missing somewhere in Europe but it's possible I just left it behind.

Those small padlocks are useless, you are right, anyone can force that open with any key. Numbered lock padlocks are much better but still not 100% safe.

Sorry to hear about your stuff going missing, lesson to be learnt is to carry anything you don't want to go missing with you at all time or just don't bother bringing it.

5.
Posted byIsadora(Travel Guru 13926 posts) 8y
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Quoting samsara2

I remember being really pissed when someone stole my Ramones t-shirt!

How dare they!!! Stealing a Ramones t-shirt is way over the line. Steal my Micheal Flatley t-shirt but not Joey!!! I'm serious. (Okay, I don't have a Michael Flatley t-shirt.) They can have my cell phone because I don't use it anyway. Take my Pink Floyd or Zachary Richard t-shirts and there will be hell to pay. That thief better appreciate what he/she has stolen and wear that shirt every day. What does the shirt look like - I'll keep an eye out for someone wearing it. (Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock n' roll high school...)

Though not at a hotel, nor by another backpacker, my dad had 3 Black Hills gold necklaces stolen out of his checked luggage at O'Hare airport. They were Christmas gifts for 2 friends and me. The thieves broke the small lock on the luggage in order to rifle through it all. Luckily, they neglected to look inside the Christmas card envelope because the card contained a $100 bill. A few months later the news reported that a rather large theft ring all had been arrested at the airport. They had been successfully operating for 9 years.

6.
Posted bysamsara_(Travel Guru 5353 posts) 8y
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Quoting summer910

Ev: people steal t-shirts? First time I've heard of that.

I guess, I mean it went missing one day, it was a pretty nice t-shirt, brand new and I was staying in the hostel long after that and it never showed up. So had to assume it was stolen. *shrugs*

All these things dont matter anyway I find in the greater scheme of things. Even when more valuable things get stolen, it bothers you initially but compared to all the great experiences you have they kind of pale into insignificance.

If you have to spend all your time worrying about your stuff, it takes the some of the enjoyment out of travelling. So, whether you trust everyone or trust no-one you lose

7.
Posted byIsadora(Travel Guru 13926 posts) 8y
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But... But... But... It was a Ramones t-shirt..I love the Ramones! I mean Blitzkrieg Bop and Sheena Is A Punk Rocker and You Sound Like You're Sick - I'm bummed now...

Okay, Isa returns this thread to it's originally scheduled topic...

8.
Posted byjeryan86(Budding Member 7 posts) 8y
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I've just bought a pac-safe, it's basically a wire mesh that goes around your bag then you chain it to anything. It also stops you getting your bag slashed. Have a look into it, may give you piece of mind when your out in the days.J

All these things dont matter anyway I find in the greater scheme of things. Even when more valuable things get stolen, it bothers you initially but compared to all the great experiences you have they kind of pale into insignificance.

If you have to spend all your time worrying about your stuff, it takes the some of the enjoyment out of travelling. So, whether you trust everyone or trust no-one you lose

yes, but if my passport gets stolen, I will skin someone alive.

clothes? I have lost all those with brands, I never noticed it until my backpack got lighter and I just say, thank you to those thieves for taking my Bossini sweaters from HK, My Giordano pants and jackets from Guanzhou and Shanghai.Atleast, I have a lighter load.

But steal my Laos t-shirts (for my parents) and I will push an entire race to oblivion.

I still feel bad when I think about the photos on the phone, which is my graduation gift from my mom.But atleast it was not my passport. I've lost the ATM and wallet given to me by a very good Chinese friend. That was the worst thing I've lost in my 13 month travel.

I've lost the wallet in Bangkok, everyone gets that experience.

the ATM card in Vietnam... and the cellphone and some cash in Kuala Lumpur.